IATSE President Meets With Kennedy Center Workers Affected by Trump Turmoil, Urges Productions Not to ‘Walk Away’

Matthew D. Loeb, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, met this week with union members who work at the Kennedy Center and who face financial uncertainty as a result of more than a dozen show cancellations made in protest of Donald Trump’s takeover of the performing arts complex’s board.

“Behind-the-scenes workers need to feed our families and have neither participated in any decisions relating to booked content, nor have we considered social issues as a matter of whether we service a production in the history of our relationship at the Kennedy Center,” Loeb said in a statement.

This past February, Trump announced that he would be taking over as chairman of the Kennedy Center board from the ousted David Rubenstein, and that board members appointed by former president Joe Biden would be fired as well and replaced with his own appointees. Former acting director of national intelligence Ric Grenell was named president of the Kennedy Center in place of the ousted Deborah Rutter.

In response to this, songwriter Ben Folds and singer Renee Fleming quit as advisers to the Kennedy Center, while “Insecure” star Issa Rae cancelled a sold-out show set to take place on March 16 in protest of Trump’s actions.

Last week, the Kennedy Center released a list of the cancellations announced since Trump took office, with 15 shows cancelled by the artists or producers along with four others cancelled due to low ticket sales or other financial reasons. One of the most high-profile cancellations was a planned return to the Kennedy Center by the national tour of “Hamilton,” which had previously performed there in two previous engagements and was set to return in spring 2026.

“’Hamilton’ was proudly performed at the Kennedy Center in 2018 during the first Trump administration,” producer Jeffrey Seller said in a statement last week. “We are not acting against his administration, but against the partisan policies of the Kennedy Center as a result of his recent takeover.”

Kennedy Center is served by crew members from seven IATSE locals: Local 22 (Stagehands), Local 772 (Wardrobe), Local 798 (Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists), Local 868 (Treasurers & Ticket Sellers), Local B868 (Instant Charge/Telephone Sales and Information), Local USA 829 (Scenic Artists), and ATPAM Local 18032 (Theatrical Press Agents & Managers). Crew workers for touring companies are also represented by IATSE through the union’s “pink contract.”

In its press release announcing Loeb’s visit, IATSE stressed that pulling productions harms the livelihoods of its members and asked artists and producers to take that into consideration.

“When productions walk away, it leaves more than just an empty stage — they leave behind critical opportunities for skilled middle-class workers to earn livings in the arts, and forego a chance to inspire American audiences at this historic institution,” the union said.

“We have a contract and fulfill our end of the deal. We are the best, safest, most experienced workforce available and we’ve worked in the building since it opened 53 years ago, throughout all the challenges and successes the institution has seen,” added Loeb. “It is our hope the Center can continue to offer the best to the public when it comes to promoting world-class productions, while protecting freedom of speech and expression, free of censorship in the spirit of foundational democratic values.”

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